The project addresses three important problems in water resources: 1) reservoir
sedimentation, which affects reservoir efficiency (from both economic and
flood control perspectives), 2) the presence and transport of contaminated
sediments, in this case contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
and 3) reservoir shoreline erosion, which can affect water quality, aquatic
habitat, reservoir efficiency, and even real estate values.

The reservoir to be studied through this research (Hartwell Lake, GA/SC)
is nearly 40 years old, yet the main pool has not been surveyed for sedimentation
in nearly 30 years (since 1973), despite the known presence of sediments contaminated
with PCBs (and an EPA Superfund site on Twelve-Mile Creek, a major tributary),
due primarily to a lack of funding (Joseph Hoke, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Savannah, pers. comm.). The study will reveal the degree of sedimentation
via a field survey, the presence or absence of PCBs at selected locations,
and provide data for validation of a numerical model that has been applied
for prediction of circulation, sedimentation, and shoreline erosion within
the reservoir.